Wedding photography & the final product

Do you want a full package with prints, a professional album, a DVD of images and a book of proofs? Or would you be happy to get copies of your images on DVD ready to print yourself?

Prints
Some photographers will offer you a certain amount of prints upon completion of your wedding. If this is the case, it’s important to ask how many are included, what size they are, and whether they are ‘marked’ or not. Some photographers will include prints but will also have their watermark on them, so you can’t get more copies made yourself.

Albums
Traditionally, all couples would have ordered a wedding album – these are usually priced within a package or as a separate option with your photographer. These vary greatly, and it’s important to see a sample of what you can expect. Have a look at sizes, the number of pages and whether or not you have any say in how the album is designed and what photos are included. In choosing an album, it’s important to think about whether you’d like something big and formal that you might only look at every few years or perhaps something more modern, like a digitally designed coffee table book that you can have on show.

Proofs
Again, traditionally, couples would receive a proof album of small prints of every image taken on their day in order to choose and order the ‘good’ copies they’d like to have printed or put into an album. With the prevalence of digital photography, proofs are becoming a little redundant, as they can be supplied on DVD instead.

DVDs
Many couples these days choose to simply have their images provided on DVD. Whilst KT Pearl Photography is happy to produce whatever you choose, we find that most couples are looking to stick to a budget and prefer this option.  It’s important if you are getting your images on DVD that you make sure they are in high resolution, which means they will be of a quality that allows you to print copies yourself at any size.  Some photographers looking to make extra money after your wedding will only give you low-resolution copies, so if you’d like to print an enlargement, you need to go back to them to ‘buy’ better quality versions of your favourite photos.

In summary, ask yourself the following questions when deciding what final product you would like after your wedding:

• What can I afford in my budget?
• How am I going to get the most enjoyment out of my photos?
• Do I have the knowledge and resources to print my favourite images myself?
• Are there any hidden costs?

Wedding photography is becoming more economical with the onset of digital cameras and we are now lucky enough to be able to save some money and do part of it ourselves.

Organise your wedding photography now. 

About Author Kellie Tweeddale 
Kellie has a Bachelor of Education and many years of experience in teaching, acting, customer service and, of course, photography. With a love of weddings and a few photography courses later, Kellie was encouraged to begin her own business – KT Pearl Photography, which she operates mainly on weekends, allowing her to spend time with her beautiful little boy Benjamin during the week.

Kellie prides herself on her friendly manner, ability to relate to people of all backgrounds and ages, and how every wedding she captures is special and unique.  An Australian Bridal Industry Award Finalist in 2010, Kellie takes beautiful, natural photographs that you will love looking at long after your big day has passed.